1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to display devices and optical touch technology. More particularly, exemplary embodiments relate to a display device that does not need touch electrodes and/or optical sensors to sense touch and/or “near touch” events and a display device including the same.
2. Discussion
Touch panels are often utilized as one of many conventional interfaces that provide communications between an information communication technology device and a user. Touch panels are a type of input device that transmit touch information, which is generated in response to a user's finger or touch tool coming in contact with and/or close proximity to the touch panel (hereinafter collectively referred to as “touch events”), to the information communication technology device. Typically, touch panels are included as component of or an addition to a display device. In this manner, touch panels enable users to interact with content presented via the display device. Due to the relative ease and intuitiveness of operation, display devices including or otherwise interfacing with touch panels have found industrial application in various fields of technology, such as, for example, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, bank/office terminals, medical devices, directional boards, traffic information boards, etc.
Conventionally, touch panels are generally classified into three types based on their operating principles, e.g., a resistive pressure-sensitive type, a capacitive/electrostatic type, and an infrared light type. Traditional infrared light type touch panels generally utilize a separate optical sensor in the touch panel to sense (or otherwise detect) touch events, whereas conventional resistive pressure-sensitive type touch panels and traditional capacitive/electrostatic type touch panels typically utilize separate touch electrodes to sense touch events. These separate optical sensors/touch electrodes add to the cost, complexity, and time to manufacture information communication technology devices including such components. Therefore, there is a need for an approach that provides efficient, cost effective techniques to improve upon conventional display devices and optical touch systems including the same.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.